Haunting Eyes
by B Cardoso
Summary: His songs are hits They talk about a girl with hunting eyes and shy smile. Everyone thinks she doesn't exist. Only the one who writes them knows the truth and maybe the girl in the song. LIT
1. Chapter 01

Title: Hauting Eyes

Author: B Cardoso

Summary: His songs are hits. They talk about a girl with hunting eyes and shy smile. Everyone thinks she doesn't exist. Only the one who writes them knows the truth and maybe the girl in the song. LIT

A/N: Thank you to **Emily** **Carter** who is beta-ing this story.

* * *

**Chapter 01**

The loud music and the murmuring of people that came from the other side of the door were blocked in his mind, only the cubicle with a bed in the moving bus existed to him right now; well, that and her.

He adjusted the sheets of paper on which he was writing his new song on the book cover he was using as support before his eyes wondered to the picture that was being used as a book marker. From the one inch that stood out of the book he could only see her big blue eyes. Around the ridiculously small room clothes and books were scattered, a couple of guitars stood in one corner and there were numerous beer cans on the floor.

Someone knocked on the door, and a moment later it flew open revealing Tom. "Hey, man! Whatcha doin' here all alone? The hot girls are in the other room!" he said with a drunken laugh.

"Just shut up and close the door on your way out", he said snappily.

"C'mon man! You never have any fun! Didn't you learn by now that all you've gotta do is tell the chick you play in a band and she'll be over you on a blink? It's not like they aren't into you without the band thing but you keep playing difficult and all..."

He ignored Tom and wrote down another couple of sentence, shaking his head as though trying a rhythm to the song.

"You writing a new song?" Tom dumbly asked.

He looked up staring at the boy for a moment before nodding and saying, "Yeah, now get the hell out of here."

Tom raised his hands in surrender, one hand still holding his beer. "Okay, okay, I'm gone. Keep writing. The chicks love it when I sing your write... most even think I wrote them!"

He snorted, "Yeah, as if you had the brains!"

Tom rolled his eyes at the comment and complained, "Don't be an ass. You always get cranky when you're writing."

He grew quiet and Tom noticed it, raising his eyebrows in sudden interest and curiosity.

"What? The girl in the songs really existed?"

No response.

Tom smiled wickedly, "You've got to be kidding me! So what? She turned you down?"

Nothing.

"Let me guess, she already had someone?"

Silence.

"Or maybe you just weren't her type, maybe you weren't good enough for her..."

He looked up, glaring at Tom, rage flaring in his eyes. "Leave now, or I don't care about who you are, you'll regret what you just said," he threatened dead serious.

For a moment there was a heavy silence and Tom seemed to be a little more sober than before. "Okay, keep writing. Let us know when you're done with the lyrics so we can start working on the melody."

He nodded silently.

"And, hey?"

"Yeah?" he asked, annoyed with the other man.

"I was just kidding about the girl, Jess."


	2. Chapter 02

Title: Hauting Eyes

Author: B Cardoso

Summary: His songs are hits They talk about a girl with hunting eyes and shy smile. Everyone thinks she doesn't exist. Only the one who writes them knows the truth and maybe the girl in the song. LIT

A/N: Thank you to **Emily** **Carter** who is beta-ing this story.

* * *

**Chapter 02**

He took another bite of his cheeseburger and let the ketchup fall on the napkin that was sitting on the table while he took his beer his other hand and drank the rest of it in one gulp. Sitting in a small 7-Eleven in the middle of nowhere, he resumed eating his breakfast/lunch while his band mates went junk food shopping for the ride.

He didn't really mind living on a bus with two other musicians, a driver and their manager; it wasn't that bad really. Of course, the place was always a mess and his lonesome figure couldn't be alone whenever he wanted anymore, but the guys were pretty cool most of the time.

They traveled around the country playing anywhere that would pay enough, in their opinion, and since their hits had started playing on the radio, the places were making pretty good offers to them. Girls loved the lyrics that talked about this mysterious and charming girl who haunted this boy in every possible way. The guys usually liked the melody, not too mellow and with really nice guitar solos. And even if it wasn't for the great lyrics, amazing accords and nice vocals, their songs were playing on the radio; teenagers would love their band anyway.

Leo, the drummer of the band sat across from Jess before having a bite of his hot dog. He was the guy that Jess tolerated the most in the band, he was usually quiet and left Jess alone; which was why Jess liked him better.

"So, have you heard about the next place we're playing at?" he asked Jess between bites.

Jess shook his head before grabbing a napkin and wiping his mouth, "No, do you know anything about it?"

"Just that it's gonna be some club in Hartford...it's in Connecticut."

Jess froze. "Huh."

Leo stopped eating, "Something wrong, man?"

"Uhm... no, nothing."

"You sure? You seemed to be off for a moment..."

"Nope, just thinking."

"Okay," Leo shrugged, "if you say so."

* * *

In the next day they arrived in Hartford, the town hadn't changed much from what Jess remembered. As it usually happened, they checked in a decent hotel just a couple of blocks away from the club in which they would be performing. They always stayed at the hotel that the night club would offer, so they could sleep in a real bed and have a real room for at least a day or so.

As soon as they dropped their bags in their rooms they went to the lobby so they could go together to the club and get the instruments set up for the show. The guys walked down the street talking about the next place they would perform at. Their manager, Greg, wasn't sure yet about where they would go. He was looking at the possibility of them going abroad, England maybe. But for that, Greg would have to make a few (or rather, many) phone calls and the guys wouldn't be able to perform for a week or two.

Jess didn't mind going anywhere as long as he had his books, his guitars and some paper to write his songs. The others loved the idea; that was the perfect chance for a career in a very unstable industry.

The guys spent about two and a half going through their equipment, trying to make the sound perfect. Even though they loved to party and didn't take anything too seriously they were hard working and pretty much perfectionists when it came to music.

Jess walked to the backstage and turned the small bottle of water upside down on his face, exhausted. He usually didn't get much sleep while in the bus; during the night he usually wrote his best and when they arrived to play in a town there was so much work to do he couldn't sleep more than five hours a night.

Tom knocked on the door before opening it, he knew Jess was rather moody and he didn't want to get in a fight over nothing. "Hey, man, some local band that is opening our show tonight is here. They came over to set their instruments and they wanted to meet us. We've all met them, you're the only one missing."

Jess glared at Tom. He hated fans and groupies and the other man knew it. It didn't make any sense in his mind that a bunch of people with no lives kept following and adoring other people's work. Of course he admired many writers and musicians but the whole 'idol' thing was totally creepy to him.

Tom lifted his shoulders in a shrug and added, "They're pretty cool," trying to make his case sound better.

Jess rolled his eyes in contained annoyance, "Whatever. Send them in. I can't promise more than five words."

Tom nodded, considering, "Good enough. You don't say more than five words to us either," he said before leaving the room and sending the other band in.

"Oh my God! I just want to say it's really nice to finally meet the guy who wrote-"

Jess turned around and Lane stopped mid-sentence when she was face to face with the brown haired man.

"Jess!" she screamed.

Jess sighed. 'Yeah, no way out of this one', he thought. Nodding he answered, "Lane."

"Do you know the guy?" Zach asked Lane, but it was David who answered.

"Yeah, we know him." David offered his hand to Jess who shook it, "How have you been doing Jess?"

"Pretty good, can't really complain."

"Good," David also nodded.

"And you?" Jess asked, remembering to be polite.

"We're good, too. Playing here and there, opening some big shows..." he said nodding to him as 'the big show'.

Lane suddenly fell out of her trance and started blinking and looking from Jess to David and back again before starting her rant, "What are you doing here? You really wrote those songs? The other guys said it was you, but you couldn't possibly- But the lyrics- And it doesn't make sense-"

Lane wouldn't finish a sentence and Jess was getting unnerved. Thankfully, for Jess' relief Lane was cut off by Leo, "Hey, man, we're heading to the hotel. We're thinking of having some dinner together before the show. Wanna join us?"

Possibly for the first time since the band was formed Jess nodded, got his jacket from the back of a chair and almost ran to catch up with the rest of the band.

Lane stood shocked for a moment, then she flipped her cell phone open and pressed one of her speed-dial, "You won't believe what just happened..."


	3. Chapter 03

Title: Hauting Eyes

Author: Bru Cardoso

Summary: His songs are hits They talk about a girl with hunting eyes and shy smile. Everyone thinks she doesn't exist. Only the one who writes them knows the truth and maybe the girl in the song. LIT

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, just the plot... you know the drill.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

**Chap 03**

He wandered around the aisles, picking a book here and there. He had to laugh at how ridiculously ironic it was, he who hated malls, wouldn't leave a town before stopping by at one. But it was only for logical reasons, of course. It was practical and his only solution many times. It was where he could buy books, Cds and clothes at the same place, spending less than three hours to purchase everything he would need until they arrived in the next town.

Walking though his most hated section, poetry, a spine of a book caught his attention. "Twenty love poems and a song of despair." He could still remember the blush creeping into her cheeks when he started teasing her mercilessly about the book. She had had to read (actually, re-read) it for a project at school and he decided that as a good boyfriend as he was, that they should read it together. Of course she protested and reasoned he didn't even like poetry. But his answer was, "So you can see the sacrifices that I make for you," and after that one she was at a loss of words.

They read it together, on his bed. In the beginning he would tease her, wearing a smirk that would make her feel even more uncomfortable. He even read out loud, saying it was easier to memorize and making her shiver. But when he noticed her shaking hands his smirk suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a soft smile of understanding. She was so young, so naive; maybe too naive even for her age. But still she was there, in bed, with this self-proclaimed bad boy, listening to his hoarse voice reading about love - and making love. The second one was the one that was bothering her so much, he knew that. He knew she didn't have much experience and that it made her so damn nervous to even talk about the subject.

He knew she would have to face her sexuality eventually, but he also knew it didn't have to be now. His arms reached for her and enveloped her, making her lie against his chest, between his legs, comforting and calming her, while his husky voice whispered the words he read on her ear.

Her body tensed completely for about two minute before it started relaxing against his, noticing he wasn't pressuring or asking anything; he just wanted to be close to her. He wanted intimacy, and it meant being comfortable around each other much more than having sex.

He missed those days, when he would simply drop his mask and be nice to her. When he would be dragged to stupid town festivals and endless movie nights, in which he would be forced to watch 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory' countless times. He had even written a song with the title of the movie, even though he would never let it be sang.

This annoyed him endlessly, these little things in every town that would make him remember her, and therefore write about her. He doubt that many would figure it was her he was talking about. He would write about her the way he saw, tasted and felt her, and apart from the hunting blue eyes and shy smile, it wasn't the way the Stars Hollow townies would picture her.

He sat on the floor, flipping through the pages, remembering writing notes in the margins for her; to help her with school, to let her know how he felt. Sometimes he even compared her to the girls in the poems; her pale skin and huge still eyes. Now he remembered, she never gave it back. He closed the book in his hands, stood up and headed to the register.

The place was crowded. Apparently Greg had made a new deal, the shows would always get much bigger when he did. The screaming could be heard form their room in the backstage. Tom and Leo sat on the couch, drinking beer, while Jess played a new song he was trying to create. his one was taking longer, he spent hours with his guitar, trying to finally finish it; but so far, no such luck. It got him frustrates, agitated and nervous. The idea and the feeling were inside him, and they wouldn't leave him alone until he got them out. But even though he had been working on the song for more than a week, it still didn't sound good enough.

Writing songs came naturally, fluidly for him, but for the first time he was having problems. Someone knocked on the door and Jess turned around, put his guitar on the floor next to a chair to open the door. The small brunette girl looked at him, silently asking permission to come in, but instead he stepped out and closed the door behind him.

"I thought maybe we could talk. I don't mean to intrude in your life or anything..."

He interrupted her, "I thought you didn't want to talk to me. Actually, I thought you despised me."

"Don't get me wrong, I do," she said spontaneously. He arched his eyebrows and she paused, sighing. "Look, you're not my favorite person in the world, okay? But this is not about either of us."

"Rory," he stated.

Lane sighter again, "Look, I talked to her, I told her you were in Hartford and there are some thing she should know about and that you too should talk, but she is in denial. I tried to convince her to come to the show, but she refused. Maybe you could try to talk to her."

"Listen, she doesn't want to talk to me. And it's fine; I don't know what we would say to each other anyway. It's over; and it's been this was for a long time now. Just forget it."

"Like you've forgotten about those wild hunting blue eyes and shy smile? Tell me it isn't about her," she challenged.

"It's just a song. It doesn't mean anything."

"Come on!" she laughed. "Okay, say it again, but this time try to really mean it!" she mocked.

He stayed in silence.

"The way both of you were obsessed with reading you really wanted me to believe that those words mean nothing to you?" she asked a bit softer.

"Leave it alone, Lane. You've heard her, she is not interested."

"You don't know that."

In that moment Leo opened the door to call Jess, "Dude, we're gonna play a few songs to warm up. The show should start soon. C'mon."

Jess turned to enter the room again, but not before listening to Lane screaming, "This is not over!"

He just shrugged, "Whatever!"

Inside, he started playing his guitar, seeping his beer every now and then. No one noticed him catching glimpses of the book lying on the table, ready to be re-read.


	4. Chapter 04

Title: Hauting Eyes

Author: Bru Cardoso

Summary: His songs are hits They talk about a girl with hunting eyes and shy smile. Everyone thinks she doesn't exist. Only the one who writes them knows the truth and maybe the girl in the song. LIT

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, just the plot... you know the drill.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

**Chap 04**

"That's it guys! Let's make this place rock," Tom screamed.

Jess thought this warm ups before the shows were ridiculous, but never said anything, letting the others do whatever they needed to concentrate on the show. Lane's band had just left the stage and they were in their room. Now it wsa time for them to perform. He took his gutar and followed the other two to the stage. Each went to the right position, ready to start playing.

As usual, Tom took the microphone and started talking to the fans. The guy really had a thing for calling attention. "Hey, guys! Are you all here just to see us?" he asked laughing and the crowd cheered. "Really? So, I guess we should play something good for you, huh?" he continued, as Leo waited for him to stop and Jess scanned the crowd, looking at nameless faces. He found a girl giving her ticket to one of the security guys and entering the room. She wore a black tee with some jeans, her hair down. She looked so out of place in the middle of the crowd, as if she was lost, but still looking for something.

This time there was no shy smile, just those wild blue eyes. She looked at the stage and their eyes locked. He froze.

"I can't do this,"he said, but only Leo seemed to notice.He got his guitar and left the stage. Leo followed, and as soon as Tom notice the absence of the other two, he also disappeared into the backstage, leaving the crowd screaming even louder.

"What's happening?" Leo asked.

"I can't do this. I can't play tonight," he told them.

"What?" Tom shouted. "You have to play. These people paid to see us playing!" Tom kept, yelling, almost angry.

"I'm not going back there. I don't care what you say, there's no way in hell I'm playing tonight!"

"What's going on, guys?" Lane asked approaching them, Dave close behind. "We've heard you guys yelling, is something wrong?"

"Yeah," Tom screamed, "This dumb ass here says he won't play tonigh," Tom pointresd to Jess.

"But why?" the girl asked.

"Yeah, why?" Leo insisted, curious.

Jess seemed ready to punch someone, "I'm out of here," he turned around to leave through the backside door when realization downed Lane and she yelled, "She is here, isn't she? That's why you won't paly!" she accused.

"She?" Tom asked. "I can't believe the guy is leaving the stage because of some chick!"

"The girl in the songs," Leo said, understanding, "I thought she didn't exist." He turned to Lane, "She is here?"

"That's what it seems," she answered.

Jess was quiet, just listening to the others, standing by the door. He didn't know what to do. The urge to run was running through his veins, but he knew if he left now there would never be another chance, even though he didn't really know if this, right now, was a chance. Lane walked to him, ignoring the other boys that kept discussing about the mysterious girl. "You can't leave now, you know?" she almost whispered.

"I can't see her, Lane. What am I gonna say to her? Sorry I left without saying goodbye? Sorry I was a lousy boyfriend? Sorry I never called you?"

Lane shook her head, "You have to stay and talk to her. I don't know what you are going to say, but you can't just run away again."

"She hates me. I bet she doesn't even want to see me. It's hard enough to know she hates me, I don't need to listen to her telling me that."

"I don't think she hates you. She's just very confused about why you left and never called her or anything and about the songs... But she came here, to your show; she wants to talk to you. And the least you can do is stay here and talk to her."

He hung his head in defeat. Lane was right, he knew that. He nodded, "Okay."

She smiled, "Good. I'm going to look for her and bring her to your room."

"And who is going to play?" Tom asked irritated.

"Dave can play, he knows all your songs. People won't even notice," Lane suggested.

Tom looked at Jess and shook his head going back to stage, "Whatever." Leo and Dave followed and a couple of minutes later they started the first song.

Jess dragged his feet to their room, looking dejected, while a smiling Lane went after her best friend.


	5. Chapter 05

Title: Hauting Eyes

Author: Bru Cardoso

Summary: His songs are hits They talk about a girl with hunting eyes and shy smile. Everyone thinks she doesn't exist. Only the one who writes them knows the truth and maybe the girl in the song. LIT

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, just the plot... you know the drill.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

**Chap 05**

What the hell he thought he was doing?

That's the thought that kept repeating itself on his mind. He paced from side to side in the small dirty room, wondering why he had agreed to this in the first place. A light knock came from the door, interrupting his thoughts and making him freeze. He sighted and opened he thin door to reveal a fragile Rory.

"Hey," he said breathlessly.

"Hi," she answered awkwardly. They stood in silence and when she pointedly looked inside the room he simply groaned, wanting to kick himself for not having invited her in before. He opened the door wider, "Come in?" he asked, truly dubious about the answer he would get.

She stepped into the band's room with curiosity, looking around. It was extremely impersonal, having quite a few bands resting there for a short time every month. She could see some beer cans laying around, a few instruments and some wife beaters thrown around. Nothing that would mark his presence there. Again there was no reason for his presence to be marked there.

"Do you want something to drink?" he asked, glued to the center of the room, watching as she quietly shook her head and kept inspecting the room.

"You sure?" he asked and she nodded, sitting on a filthy couch in front of the coffee table.

"Please, accept the damn soda! I don't know what to do if you don't accept the damn soda!" he told her, distressed.

She smiled at the familiarity of the scene from a few years ago and for a moment it was like nothing had changed. But the moment was gone before she could hold on to it.

She noticed a guitar laying against the couch and an open notebook next to it. As always, her curiosity got the best of her and she took the guitar, re-positioning the notebook so she could read it while she tried to play. She clumsy hit a few notes before getting it right and playing what she supposed was a new song (since she knew just about all their songs).

He shivered, staring at her acting so peacefully and playing a song she didn't know was about her.

"Why don't you sit down?" she asked, calmly. He sat in a chair a few feet from her before facing her.

"Lane said I should come to the show," she said, paying attention only to the song she was playing. "Do you have any idea why?"

He shrugged, but when she glanced at him with knowingly eyes he felt urged to nod.

"Are you going to tell me what is it?"

He looked away.

There were a few seconds of silence before they heard yelling from outside, indicating the show had just started.

"Are you going to make me guess?" she asked mocking.

He didn't answer. The first song started and he literally flinched when Tom started singing their most famous lyrics.

Her eyes stared at his face in silence, "Does it have something to do with this song?"

He swallowed his insecurities, "You know it does." His voice came out harsher than he intended, almost accusing.

She went back to the guitar and started playing 'Haunting Eyes'. "No, actually I don't. I've loved this song, but I had no idea it was you writing it."

"Usually people think it's Tom."

"I would've known if you hadn't used your name like that. J Danes. I always thought it stood for John."

He shrugged, "It seemed like the best option at the time."

She looked back at her hands playing with the chords before hesitantly telling him, "Lane thinks it's about me. This song. That you wrote it for me." She laughs, but it sounds forced, almost pained.

The only sign of his hurt was when his fists clenched and his eyes seemed to water slightly. "What do you think?" he asked her. His tone cold, not caring and he could almost convince himself he wasn't breaking inside in anticipation and fear for her answer.

"That Lane is insane." Her voice is neutral.

"Would it be that bad," his voice breaks with his fears, "if it was about you?"

"Jess…" she sights. "You left me. You left the town. No goodbye, no post-card, no nice fruit basket, no smoke signal as you once mocked me. You up and left me. If I wasn't enough for you to stay…" she pauses. "For all I know there were hundreds of blue-eyed brunettes you must have met on your tours!"

"Not really, just a couple dozens or so," he joked.

She glared. He stood and sat on the coffee table in front of her.

"Come on, you know it's not like that. It wasn't about you when I left. I just had to leave. The time was wrong for me. I wasn't graduating, we had fought, Luke told me I couldn't live with him anymore… I was messed up. And I knew if I tried to explain and say goodbye you'd talk me out of it, tell me it could all be fixed and that you were going to help… That's not what I wanted."

"I was your girlfriend, of course I would try and help you."

"You are not listening. I needed to do that on my own. Get my act together."

She bit her lip, trying to accept he hadn't wanted her help. "So… have you?"

He raised his eyebrow and she continues, "Gotten your act together."

He sighted. "I dunno. I'd like to think so…"

She nodded, "Good."

The silence that settled in the room was comfortable, like an old friend that they shared long ago and hadn't met in a good while.

She put the guitar on the floor again and checked her watch.

"Do you have to go?"

She shook her head, "I still have some time."

He nodded and tilted his head to the side, "Why did you come, really?"

She looked down, "I had to know."

"What?"

"If it was you. If it was about me."

He pulled a string of hair behind her ear and smiled, "Of course it was about you."

His confession made both their hearts' beat to race and the tension between them to become palpable.

"I don't know what to say or think. After all these years you come and that's it?" she questions.

He takes her hands in his, "Right now I'm just as lost as you are."

"I should go."

He nodded but doesn't let go of her hands, "Can I see you again?"


	6. Chapter 06

Title: Hauting Eyes

Author: Bru Cardoso

Summary: His songs are hits They talk about a girl with hunting eyes and shy smile. Everyone thinks she doesn't exist. Only the one who writes them knows the truth and maybe the girl in the song. LIT

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, just the plot... you know the drill.

VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV

**Chap 06**

He took another sip of his iced tea and looked around the people walking on the calm streets of Hartford. He checks his watch one more time. She was almost fifteen minutes late. He threw his head back and sighted. When he looked back she was right in front of him, pulling the chair to sit down and resting her purse on the chair by her side.

He took off his sunglasses and put them on their table, right next to his iced tea. He gave her a small smiled, "I was starting to think you were not coming anymore."

She smiled shyly, a bit embarrassed, "I wasn't coming."

"Oh," he paused. "And what made you change your mind, may I ask you?"

She stared at him, his dark brown eyes that seemed to be warmer than she remembered and the spiky messy hair that still gave him the look of a rebel wanna be. But she could see his smirk had been replaced by an honest affectionate smile.

"Your smile," she said in a distant voice, a voice that could confess things she wouldn't let herself voice out loud. "There was something about the things you said yesterday, you sounded honest, open." She laughs quietly, "There was always something about you…" she shakes her head, still laughing.

The waiter walks to their table to get their order.

"Uhm… I want a coffee and a chocolate coffee cake."

The waiter looked at Jess, silently asking him his order, but he just shook his head.

"So, I see some things haven't changed."

"Nope, some things haven't."

"That's good. Comforting, even."

She nods and they just stare silently at the table.

"So…"

"Yeah?"

"You were the one who asked if you could see me again. You were the one who wanted to talk, so… talk!"

He ran a hand through his her. Then started tapping his things on the table. He looked at her. "How've you been?"

She raises an eyebrow at his dumb question but answers anyway. "Fine," she says, waving a hand and dismissing the question.

He shakes his head, "No, really, how have you been? What happened in your life? What is going on? Good and bad, everything."

She tilts her head to the side a bit suspiciously, "You really wanna know?"

"Yup," he nods.

The waiter comes at this moment and sets the coffee and the cake in front of her and then leaves quietly.

"Well, my life is good. After you left I made quite a few mistakes," she laughs bitterly. "That includes sleeping with a married Dean, getting arrested, dropping out of Yale and getting in a huge fight with my mom which led me to not speak to her for almost an year."

His eyes got wide, "Wow."

She nods, "Yeah, I bet you're think 'Wow, this girl got even more screwed up than I was.'" She said with a sad smile.

"No, actually I'm thinking, 'Wow, this girl got guys that screwed her up even more that I ever could!'"

She laughed and hit his arm. He rubbed the spot where she had hit him, "What? It's true! You know it!"

Se stops laughing, "Yeah, the sad thing is that I do." She shakes her head, "It's just… everything was so screwed up… I didn't know what to do. Anyway, after a while a got in this huge fight with Logan-"

"Logan?"

"Yeah, he was my boyfriend back then. You would absolutely hate him."

"I'm sure I would," he agreed smiling and was hit again on the same spot.

"Anyway, we got in this fight, but that's what it was: a fight. But guess what? He thought we had broken up, so he went and slept with all bride's maids of his sister! The thing is, after a while we 'got back together' and I became one of the bride's maid. So, there I am, waiting to get in the church when I start to hear a bunch of girls comparing notes on boyfriend on bed! And when I go and confront him about it he says, 'Sorry, I thought we were broken up.' And he actually thinks that that will do!"

Jess starts laughing hysterically now and she narrows her eyebrows at him, "What's so funny?"

He looks up at her, "Oh, come on, you have to find it at least a little funny. He cheated on you because he thought he wasn't' cheating!"

"I guess it could be a little funny if it hadn't happened to me."

He nods, "Yeah, you're probably right." He pauses, "You know that even if I was laughing I hate the guy to the guts and I'll beat him down if I ever bump into him, right?" he asked in a serious tone.

She smiled a big smile. She really liked the protective Jess, "Yeah, I know."

"Good. Now finish the story."

She shakes her head, "Well, when I heard him giving me that lame excuse like it was enough and I should just accept it I had an epiphany. I realized everything in my life was wrong, so I broke up with him, got to terms with my mom and got back to Yale. After that things started getting better."

"Finally!" he sights dramatically.

She hits his arm again and glares, but her eyes are amused, "After that I became the editor at the Yale newspaper and moved in with Lane and Dave, who were going to a community college in New Heaven. I even got an internship at The New York Post and I loved it, but in the end I figured I'd rather work somewhere closer to home. So when I graduated I got this job at the Hartford Gazette and that's where I've been working."

"It sounds like you've got it all. I'm happy for you."

She smiled at him, her hair covering part of her smile, "Thanks. So, what about you? Going on tours and leaving on the edge doesn't sound too bad."

He laughs and waves his hand, "Nah, it's not like that. Uhm…when I left I went to California. My dad lives there and since I had nowhere to go I thought he owned me at least a place to crash. Well, while I was there I met Leo. He plays the drums in the band and he was one of the few people I could tolerate back there. So, one day we are talking about book and music and I start to play with a guitar and he says I should join his band. Before I could realize I was playing gigs in small clubs."

"Oh, really? That sounds really cool…and easy."

"Yeah, I know. Things were pretty easy for me. I guess I never took the band seriously; it was more like a hobby. But the guys, especially Leo, were always obsessed with it and it was really hard for them in the beginning. But by the time I got in everything was pretty much set up."

Some noise behind them got their attention and they turned around to look at a few girls giggling and whispering.

"Oh God," he sighted. Rory laughed.

One of the girls pushed another to the front and all of them slowly walked to their table with the biggest smiles on their faces. The girl who was pushed forwards is the one to speak, "Excuse me, are you J Danes?"

Jess looks ready to say 'no' and go back to conversation but Rory gives him a look an he sights in defeat before rolling his eyes, "Yes."

The girls start giggling even more, jumping and almost screaming in an obnoxious voice "OhmyGod OhmyGod OhmyGod!"

He supports his head on one of his hands, waiting for them to get over their little freak out.

A couple of minutes later another girl asks, "Would you mind taking a picture with us."

He starts to reply, when Rory cuts him off. "Of course he doesn't mind," she tells them with a reassuring smile. Some of the girls hand her their cell phones and cameras and try to get as close to Jess as humanly possible. Rory takes a couple of picture with each camera and after the last picture Jess mouths to her 'You own me!' She just smiles.

The girls get their cameras and leave, smiling and laughing like they had just won the lottery.

"Oh, and there is also this," Jess said, pointing to the girls walking away. "The obsessed girls that keep trying to get too close or to read my mind or to help me 'heal' or something. I was lucky these ones forgot to ask my autograph, although with that many pictures an autograph would be kinda pointless."

"Oh, come on, don't pretend you don't like it!"

He sights, "It's not that I don't like you them, it's just the situation. It seems forced most of the time, like they have no idea what we're talking about but they listen to our songs because their friends do and one thing leads to another…"

"But you must have bumped into some people who 'get' what you're talking about."

"Yeah, sure, but it's just so rare!"

Se shrugs with a small smile, "I guess it's hard to find people like." She bits her lip, " should go, I still have to edit some stuff…"

"It's okay."

She looked at him hesitantly, "When are you leaving?"

"I don't know. I think it might take a few more days."

"Can I see you again?"

He smirked, "You stole my question. And of course."

She stands up and picks her purse trying to get her wallet, "Okay, I'll call you then."

He makes a movement for her to stop going through her purse, "I got it. And I'm staying at hotel two blocks away from the club you went to last night. Room 714. My cell phone is usually off so it's easier if you just show up, whenever you want."

"Okay then." She leans down and kisses his cheek, "Bye, Jess."

"Later, Rory"


End file.
